The purification of various waste streams produced in industry is generally regulated by either federal, state, or local agencies. In many instances regulation is not required for existing processes, but may be required for new or altered processes. In some instances, the development of successful waste treatment methods associated with pollution sources leads to the promulgation of new regulations for those existing processes.
Currently, federal standards have not been set with respect to waste streams generated from the use of water reducible paints in industrial settings. These paints are commonly applied to various surfaces for various reasons with the resultant production of a waste stream resulting generally from excess and run-off paint. This waste stream is commonly diluted with water and disposed of by directing it to the municipal water waste treatment facility.
Previous attempts to treat waste streams containing a relatively minor concentration of a water-reducible paint material have included ultrafiltration processes. However, such processes have had only marginal success. Drawbacks include the difficulty in handling large volumes of waste water and the concomitant expense associated with such processing. Evaporative techniques are also not feasible due to the large volume of water in these waste streams.
A need therefore exists to develop a simple, efficient processing technique of handling waste water streams containing a relatively minor concentration of water-reducible paint materials.